In the biggest deal this year (so far) Tysons, Va.-based CSC No. 8 on the CRN SP 500 -- sent shockwaves through the solution provider community when it revealed plans to merge with Palo Alto, Calif.-based HPE's Enterprise Services unit -- No. 3 on the CRN SP 500 -- to create an IT services behemoth with $26 billion in annual revenue.

The combined entity will be run by current CSC CEO Mike Lawrie and will have HPE CEO Meg Whitman serving on the company's board of directors. It will serve 5,000 clients across 70 countries, and is expected to generate cost savings of more than $1 billion in the first year and $1.5 billion every year thereafter.